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Paul Hughes
Paul Richard Hughes (1906-1986) is my Dad. He joined the Lone Ranger staff about 1939 and worked until the last episode in about 1954. There were reruns for a year or two after that. He played many characters over the years, but Thunder Martin was my favorite. Thunder Martin helped the Lone Ranger catch "the bad guys", but when he went home, his radio wife, Clarabelle, would rule the roost and give him chores to do. A mental picture of her was funny . . . (big lady shaking a rolling pin at her husband). Dad also was a regular on "The Green Hornet", and "Challenge of the Yukon", and several other shows on WXYZ, WJR, and WWJ. He did one series " Voice of Carelessness" on WWJ.. According to an article in the Detoir News, "While the national traffic accident death rate in the last 10 years rose four per cent, Detroit's average declined 30 per cent. They credited two WWJ programs, "Men Against Crime", and "The Voice of Carelessness" with helping greatly the drive against hit-runners. As the direct result of these, the article (in Collier's magazine, entitled "Stop,Look, and Live") points out "it was a backward driver, who didn't know the police had ingenious ways of trapping him if he tried to escape after an accident." Although the story doesn't mention him, we think you'd like to know that Detroit radio actor, Paul Hughes, plays the role of the "Voice Of Carelessness," whispering to the homeward-bound driver, urging him to beat the lights, to cut in front of fast trucks, jeering at him for his caution--and laughing gleefully when the cars crash and one or more lives are taken. All in all, it's a very interesting story about Detoit's fight against traffic accident." In the 1930's, Dad worked at WLW in Cincinnati where he had a long running radio program, "Smoke Dreams". I'm quoting from a newspaper article in the "Crosley Radio News Service", December 20, 1937: "Dreaming on the air is the chief pastime of Paul Hughes, veteran stage and radio actor. It's one that combines business with a lot of pleasure for, he declared, "my job is most enjoyable, since I dream aloud about many things that live only in fond memories." "Though not identified on the air, Hughes is the Dreamer heard over WLW on the NBC-Red network, 1:30 to 2 pm. EST, in "Smoke Dreams." His is the voice that speaks to acquaintances of the past as he smokes and dwells in memories. "A native of Altoona, PA., Hughes entered stock several years ago. He did various rolls and produced for 12 years. He came to radio drama and he was heard in CBS productions from New York. Later he was heard over WSYR, Syracuse, and in several NBC originated programs in Chicago. "Hughes joined the Crosley stations WLW and WSAI, Cincinnati, July 1, after a period at WTAM, Cleveland. Although he is heard in various dramatic shows originating at the Nation's Station, his favorite is "Smoke Dreams," which features Virginio Marucci's orchestra, soloists and dramatic skits. j"The Dreamer is married to Juanita Hornbrook, former actress. They have one child, a daughter, 6 months old." (ME) Well, there's much more (Dad kept a scrapbook. Hopefully some folks will remember. Dad was a wonderful husband, dad, and man.